Freight-car door



MauiV 13, 1923.

3 N 2 ORM SW1 ND, AR5 wml. BTMAI RWA HMdG CRS'I .Fn-.r A F Patented Mar. i3, lgo

rRErGHT-CAR Doon.

Application filed April 13, 1922. Serial No. 552,066.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW CHRISTIAN- soN, a citizen of the United States, and resient of Butler, in the county of Butler and e tate of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and' useful Improvement in 'Freight-Car Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to 4doors for freight cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a metal door which is very rigid and strong in construction and capable of withstanding 15 the severe wear to which such doors are subjected when in use.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved door; Fig. 2 is a section broken away on the line 2-2 of 2o Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. l.

The frame 2 of the door-is made up of Z-bars 3 which are mitered at the corners, as at 4:, and connected in any suitable manner.

The panels 5 are formed of .metal of suitable thickness and are dished by being pressed in a suitable press, said panels having the outwardly extending flanges 6 com- 3o pletely surrounding said panels.

The upper and lower panels are riveted by their flanges 6 to the flanges 7 of the top and bottom Z-bars, and said panels are also riveted along their ends to the flanges 8 of the side Z-bars of the frame.

rIhe middle panel 9 has its upper and lower flanges riveted to the lower and upper flanges of the upper and lower panels respectively, said flanges overlapping each other and being secured by the Irivets 10. The ends of the middle panel 9 are riveted t0 the flanges of the side Z-bars of the frame.

By forming the panels from a single piece of steel dished on the outwardly extending flanges surrounding the same, and riveting the flanges to the flanges of the Z-bar, and in the case of the middle panel riveting the said flanges together, I obtain a very strong and rigid construction which will provide a door which will hold its shape against warping, and at the same'time obtain a very strong and rigid construction which will withstand the severe shocks and usage to which such doors are exposed. The great desideratum in a freight-car door is to obtain one which will maintain its shape so that it will always move in its guides properly and maintain a close relation to the door-panel so as to provide a close joint against the entrance of the elements or dirt. By havin 6o the horinzotal flanges of the middle pane?, and the upper and lower flanges riveted together in this manner, I provide reinforcing cross-ribs which greatl increase the strength and rigidity of t e door.

What I claim is:

A freight car door comprising a frame formed of Z-bars and dished panelshaving outwardly extending flanges secured to the inwardly extending flanges of said Z-bars, 7o and the overlapping horizontal flanges of the middle panel and the upper and lower panels being riveted together.

In testimony whereof I, the said ANDREW CHRISTIANsoN, have hereunto set my hand. 75

ANDREW CHRISTIANSON. 

